


Bump in the Road

by GoldenGooseFreckles



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bunkers, First Kiss, Fluff, Human Castiel, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-08 21:20:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7773766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenGooseFreckles/pseuds/GoldenGooseFreckles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a challenge. Prompt-broken glass, red flannel and a clock.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bump in the Road

**Author's Note:**

> This is the super short condensed second version, as the first one poofed out of existence never to be found again.

In hindsight, Cas probably didn't need to hang a clock so high up the wall of his room. The ladder he was using was old and rather unstable. Even so, he thought his sense of balance would be good enough to keep it steady. However, trying to keep balance on an old unstable ladder while also trying to drive a nail into equally old plaster proved to be entirely too difficult a task. Before he even had time to process the fact that the wall was moving up and away from him rather quickly, he hit the ground hard. His head hit the floor with a sharp crack, causing stars to pop behind his eyelids. He could hear the hammer skittering across the floor loudly until it came to a stop under his bed.

With a groan, he tried to sit up, the feeling of something slicing through his palm stopping him in his tracks. He quickly turned his head, the sudden movement making him feel dizzy and disoriented. He shut his eyes against the feeling, breathing through it before opening them again and looking for whatever had cut his hand. Next to him lay the shattered remains of the antique clock he had been trying to hang, shards of broken glass scattered everywhere. A rather long piece was embedded in his palm, blood running it to drip onto the floor in a steady rhythm. He slowly pulled himself up with his good hand, leaning against his bed as he waited for the throbbing in his skull to stop. He stared at the glass in his hand, almost as if he willing it to heal like it once might have. Once it wouldn't even have been something he gave more than a second's thought to. It would have been a moment's irritation, there one second, and healed the next. Now all he could do was watch as he bled, crimson drops falling to form a puddle on the floor beneath him.

The cold reminder-of what he once had, what he once was and what he was certain he couldn't ever be again-had him staring at his hand as everything around him faded out, for how long he wasn't quite sure. 

He was vaguely aware of sounds coming from somewhere on his left, something registering as Dean's voice with a panicked note to it, though it sounded muffled even when it became apparent that Dean was right next to him.

Despite being aware that Dean was so close, Cas was still startled when the man's face suddenly appeared right in front of him, one hand on his cheek while the other gently gripped his bleeding hand. Cas blinked a few times until Dean was mostly in focus.

"Shit, Cas, you okay? You disappeared on me there for a moment."

"I'm sorry, Dean"

"For what?"

"I should have been more careful, I shouldn't still be struggling to adapt, I should still be able to just-"

"Stop. Look at me." The tone of Dean's voice had Castiel pausing mid sentence, worry and his persistent sense of self inadequacy flaring up even more. "You have nothing to apologize for. At all. It hasn't even been six months since you became human. Frankly, I'm amazed you've coped as well as you have. Sure, you're gonna have shit days now and again. Hell, me 'n Sammy have them all the time, and we didn't switch species. This? This is just a little bump in the road. You're a tough little guy, you'll bounce back in no time."

"I'd hardly say I'm little, Dean."

Dean stared at him for a beat before tilting his head back and laughing, an infection sound that had Cas cracking a smile for the first time that day.

"Of course that's what you'd pick up on. Come on, let's go get you cleaned and patched up. This might hurt a bit, so bear with me." Dean removed his red flannel overshirt, handing it to Cas with instructions to hold it tightly to his palm once Dean pulled the glass out. The glass came free without much issue, the cut surprisingly shallow despite how badly it had been bleeding. Dean wrapped and tied the shirt tight before helping Cas to stand slowly. Unfortunately, as soon as he was vertical, he was hit with a wave of dizziness, swaying unsteadily and almost keeling over before Dean managed to catch him and keep him upright.

Maybe it was the sudden close proximity, maybe it was the mild concussion Cas was sure he had, but when he looked up and sawalking how close Dean's face was to him, he closed the distance without hesitation, gently pressing his lips to Dean's. He came back to himself almost immediately when Dean stiffened against him, the surprise on his face clear when Cas pulled back.

"I'm sorry Dean, I wasn't thinking. I don't know what came over me. I can just go take care of this, you don't need to-"

Dean silenced him by returning the kiss with carefully controlled enthusiasm, one hand slipping around Cas' waist to pull him closer, while the other one crept into his hair. Cas let out a soft gasp when Dean grazed over the spot where he had hit the floor with his head, causing Dean to pull back in alarm.

"Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Hit my head pretty hard when I fell off the ladder, but I should be fine."

"You've probably got a concussion. Come on, let's go take care of your hand, then see about your head."

"Aren't you supposed to stay up for an absurdly long time?"

"I think they might have changed that, but hey. Better to be safe than sorry, right? I'm sure I can think of a few ways to distract you." Dean leaned in to kiss him one last time, before leading Cas off to the bathroom, the grin on his face matched only by Dean's.


End file.
